Perry

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Posts by Perry

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  17

  Bye and thanks for everything

  by LifesNotOver in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  we really went at it this weekend.

  pretty ugly!

  well at least now the air is cleared.

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  Perry

  The unexamined life is not worth living - Socrates
  
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  18

  Long Time Visitor New Member

  by LogansRun in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just wanted to say hello, i have been visiting this site for a very long time and i feel like i know so many of you already, now you can get to know me but for now i'm fading so i cant give my complete story.

  i'm single but have "hardcore" siblings in the religion, thankfully i do have family who never expressed interest in the jws.

  i really checked out years ago from to much mental abuse and no recognition for all that i gave to this organization.

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  Perry

  LogansRun,

  Welcome and just want you to know that you are an inspiration to all of us.

  - Perry
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  12

  "What is in it for me."

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so if there was no promise of a "reward" for faithfulness...no paradise...no eternal life etc, how many witnesses would stick with the "faith"?.

  sure, the reward might be "making god happy", but he supposedly holds out the paradise promise with eternal life as an incentive right?.

  before anyone says, that's what satans challenge regarding job was about, just think.

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  Perry

  You are confused on who the criminal is. You might have a point if at that judgment the person was without sin. God doesn't force anyone to obey just as he doesn't force anyone to accept a pardon.

  If God doesn't judge sin, then that would make the enabler of sin without justice.
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  12

  "What is in it for me."

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so if there was no promise of a "reward" for faithfulness...no paradise...no eternal life etc, how many witnesses would stick with the "faith"?.

  sure, the reward might be "making god happy", but he supposedly holds out the paradise promise with eternal life as an incentive right?.

  before anyone says, that's what satans challenge regarding job was about, just think.

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  Perry

  How can I be specific regarding the do's and dont's of God? We have the scriptures, but they are very basic. Within that basic framework, God seeks to work for the good of a person while at the same time glorifying himself through our lives. Our lives are all different from each other and the way he seeks to glorify himself in each believer is different, just as each person's idea of "self betterment" is different from others. God accommodates all of this with the basic framework of the scriptures.

  God seeks a reciprocal relationship and to get people to move beyond religion. There can be no real disobedience, (nor any moral virtue for that matter) in obedience, unless a person recognizes the higher authority and the goodness of the one giving the orders. If this recognition does not exist, the one giving the orders may view the other person’s disobedience as freedom. If one rules another by saying, “You must do this,” and, “You will do that,” he breaks the human spirit, making it unfit for God. A person is simply a slave for obeying, unless behind his obedience is the recognition of a holy God who is actively seeking your betterment.

  Many people begin coming to God once they stop being religious, because there is only one master of the human heart— Jesus Christ, not religion. But “Woe is me” if after seeing Him I still will not obey (Isaiah 6:5 , also see Isaiah 6:1). Jesus will never insist that I obey, but if I don’t, I have already begun to sign the death certificate of the Son of God in my soul. When I stand face to face with Jesus Christ and say, “I will not obey,” He will never insist. But when I do this, I am backing away from the recreating power of His redemption. It makes no difference to God’s grace what an abomination I am, if I will only come to the light. But “Woe is me” if I refuse the light (see John 3:19-21). - Oswald Chambers
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  12

  "What is in it for me."

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so if there was no promise of a "reward" for faithfulness...no paradise...no eternal life etc, how many witnesses would stick with the "faith"?.

  sure, the reward might be "making god happy", but he supposedly holds out the paradise promise with eternal life as an incentive right?.

  before anyone says, that's what satans challenge regarding job was about, just think.

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  Perry

  I see no difference. They serve a mob boss.

  We will always serve someone or something at times against our will. That is the reality that people are not willing to face up to. Once you own up to that, a person can begin to do the math. The power of sin forces people to do its will even when that person wills not to at times. Oh, the sins that you are OK with are not so much of a problem .... until they begin to control you. But they ones you are not Ok with are the ones that destroy your life the quickest.

  When a person gets born again, the power of sin is broken. Another principle is available for service. It is a process called sanctification..

  I have served both in my life. I can assure you that Sin is a very nasty task master, and God has a very easy yoke and a very light load. This of course is all very offensive to our pride, which cannot be fixed. It can only be crucified.

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• 
  12

  "What is in it for me."

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so if there was no promise of a "reward" for faithfulness...no paradise...no eternal life etc, how many witnesses would stick with the "faith"?.

  sure, the reward might be "making god happy", but he supposedly holds out the paradise promise with eternal life as an incentive right?.

  before anyone says, that's what satans challenge regarding job was about, just think.

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  Perry

  I am NOT ashamed to admit that I believe God so that I can better myself. Virtually everything we do as humans is for this purpose of self-preservation and betterment. Why should our interaction with God be any different?

  It is a deception of the devil that says that unless our motive is 100% out of love for God, our effort to believe God is no good. Baloney.

  We are born opposed to God, alienated from him, enemies of his kingdom and method of governing etc., etc., etc. The bible makes this clear. I didn't ask to be burdened with this opposition to God. I also didn't ask for God to make me a bunch of promises. But both have come to pass so that we could make a CHOICE. The enemy attempts to steal this choice away from us by any means necessary. We are so stupid we fall for most of his tricks.

  Jesus was clear in his offer:

  Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
  28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
  29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

  I aint stupid (at least not anymore in regards to God), I have made my decision. God will continue to work on me from the inside and sculpt my sensitivities, affections, love for him etc. That's his job, not mine. He bought the whole farm when he got me. He can do with me whatever he wishes. I trust him and that is that.
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  5

  The "Fellowship of Sufferings"

  by Perry in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i came across this title phrase while reading a daily devotional one morning and it reminded me of this discussion board.

  there really is a fellowship of sufferings here.

  never since adolph hitler has an organization done so much to destroy families as the watchtower has done.

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  Perry

  I came across this title phrase while reading a daily devotional one morning and it reminded me of this discussion board. There really is a fellowship of sufferings here. Never since Adolph Hitler has an organization done so much to destroy families as the Watchtower has done.

  There are some stats somewhere that shows that there are more people that are disenfranchised (people who have left) from the Watchtower than there are people who are associated. That is millions of people !

  Millions of people have left but are too scared to make a stink because they don't want to offend relatives who are still in. They suffer silently. And, even though out, they still likely carry significant vestiges of Watchtower teachings and worldviews.

  Some of the Wt tenets some people take with them even while exiting may be:

  1. Belief that at death nothing happens

  2. Distrust and flippancy toward government participation & the military

  3. Dislike of Christians

  4. Search for new "experts" to tell them what to do

  5. A mechanical, disconnected approach to life and relationships

  6. Trying to be "good enough" in a works based relationship with God

  7. Living as a Human-doing vs. a Human-being

  The scripture that ran me down this rabbit-hole is:

  Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh..... [will-power]

  
  But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

  
  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Phil. 3

  Jesus died having been rejected by most of his family. They thought he was quote: "beside himself". That is a nice was of saying they thought he was nuts. His friends abandoned him when he needed them most. But the resurrection (not the miracles & works he did) changed EVERYTHING.

  We all experience the Fellowship of Christs Sufferings in the loss of family and friends. May we also experience his victory in the "power of his resurrection".

  Resurrection Power - has a nice ring to it.
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  20

  Hello Everyone

  by Mozzie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hoping this is the right section..... my story so far,,,.

  hello everyone, i have been reading a lot on what most jws would say apostate websites, but i have been asking myself, how much of this s true and considering a lot of these are run by ex jw elders, bethalites and one who was with the gb at one stage, overseers and the like.

  i was an unbaptized publisher many years ago but never got to the point of baptism as i fell into sin, that pretty much ended my attending meetings again.

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  Perry

  Just know that Bart Ehrman is the world's leading atheist bible skeptic.

  He used to be a believer but now has an axe to grind against God. If you want to wallow in self-pity, he's your man.

  In describing his spiritual background, Ehrman describes an event that occurred when his father was dying of cancer. His charismatic youth group leader visited the hospital and “used a bottle of hotel shampoo to ‘anoint’ his father, and tried to persuade his father to confess specific sins” (“Former Fundamentalist ‘Debunks’ Bible,” CNN, May 15, 2009). Ehrman says he was angry at the man for acting “self-righteous” and “hypocritical.” This event, though, does not reflect negatively on a biblicist faith. It simply proves that this particular youth leader was a misguided man.

  You will always find someone selling what you are buying. Many people who have been abused by other religious people will try to sell you a bill of goods called naturalism. They simply go from one group of "experts" to another group of so-called experts for guidance.

  
  

  The watchtower says to come to them for salvation. Jesus says to come the Him. Read everything you can about what Jesus said. Then believe them and you will be free & prosperous with a secure future. Forget about your "sins" for the time being. Learn what Jesus did for YOU. He took care of your sin at Calvary 2000 years ago and he will take care of sin in your life now if you let him. It is not about your will power, but about Him.

  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. - Mt 11: 28-30

  
  
  
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  25

  Study article: "Go, and Make Disciples.." is a hot mess

  by Sanchy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so i hooked into meeting via phone this week to listen in and was shocked at the absurdities mentioned in the study article (2016 may watchtower: "go,..and make disciples of people of all the nations").

  the answer is obvious—only jehovah’s witnesses.

  the answer the missionary priest gave in no way proves that jws are the only ones "preaching the good news".

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  Perry

  The ratio of publishers to population in places like China and the Indian sub-continent is so great as to be as effective as a chocolate teapot

  Excellent points Konceptual99!

  We can see how effective the WT's version of the "gospel of the kingdom" has been through the distribution of Watchtower literature when you compare it to the gospel of salvation, grace, peace and of Jesus shared by word of mouth in China. It addition to churches where they can meet openly, tens of thousand of House Churches are baptizing thousands of people every day.

  These gospels are so effective over the gospel of the kingdom (the WT version) that some experts are predicting that China will, in just nine more years, take over as the most Christian nation on earth!

  "By my calculations China is destined to become the largest Christian country in the world very soon," said Fenggang Yang, a professor of sociology at Purdue University and author of Religion in China: Survival and Revival under Communist Rule.

  
  Prof Yang, a leading expert on religion in China, believes that number will swell to around 160 million by 2025. That would likely put China ahead even of the United States, which had around 159 million Protestants in 2010 but whose congregations are in decline.

  Article

  Ephesians 2:8-9

  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

  It is way past time that the Wt stops boasting!
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  9

  Part One of what could be a long introduction

  by LifesNotOver in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hello - let me try to explain.

  a couple of months ago or so i joined this forum, then shortly after checked out jwrecovery which seemed a better fit personally and joined them.

  started to feel comfortable there and they closed, and i pouted for a while.

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  Perry

  I suffer from "new kid on the block syndrome"

  
  

  Fugitabouit. You are a champion! Welcome aboard!